Door catch



April 25, 1967 P. R. T. HAHN ETAL 3,315,999

DOOR CATCH 4 Filed Jan. l2, 1965 United States Patent Oce 3,315,999 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 3,315,999 DOOR CATCH Paul R. T. Hahn, Westlield, Robert Randall, Morristown,

and Raymond H. Reiss, Deal, NJ., assgnors to Ronthor Reiss Corporation, New York, FLY., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. l2, 1965, Ser. No. 424,96() 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-76) This invention relates to a latch mechanism for latching doors and the like to adjacent walls or door frame structures, and more particularly it relates to a latch mechanism of the type comprising a male strike and a female catch.

Broadly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved latch mechanism which is superior to those latch mechanisms now in existence. Latch mechanisms of t'he type comprising a strike and a catch are commonplace and relatively inexpensive. Consequently, superiority of the device is determined by its workability and its cost.

With respect to the latter consideration, it is an object of this invention to provide a cheap eifective latching mechanism which can replace more expensive mechanical or magnetic latching mechanisms. Accordingly, it .is preferable to form the catch of resilient plastic and the strike of some metallic substance.

With respect to workability, it is an object of this invention to provide a latching mechanism having a catch which does not rely on the resilience of the material to hold the strike. In order to prevent the plastic catch from taking a permanent set when the strike is received therein and from failing due to such permanent set, it is an object of this invention to provide a catch mechanism which is under substantially little or no stress when the strike is received in its closed position.

Furthermore, it is an object of this invention to provide a strike requiring little force to be moved into a closed position and heavy force to be moved into an open position. Accordingly, the strike preferably has a low angle of entry and a steep angle of retraction.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a strike having one threaded end portion so that it can be adjusted axially by movement within the wall or door.

It is `a further object of this invention to provide a catch which can be installed in the top, bottom, or side of a door opening or above or below a shelf in a cabinet structure. Such flexibility enables the catch mechanism to be placed in the most desirable position for effective latching and for attractive appearance. Furthermore, it is possible to attach the catch to a narrow rail if this is the only available structure to which it can be attached.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a catch mechanism which has adjustability in two directions to take care of variances in the position of the strike. More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide adjustahility on a first axis transverse to the axis of the strike and further adjustability on a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis and in a plane intersecting the strike.

Accordingly, the latch mechanism has adjustability in three directions, adjnstability in two directions being provided by the catch and adjustability in one direction being provided by the strike. Therefore, it can be seen that this type of latch mechanism can he adjusted to compensate for warping, swelling, uneven floors, and other causes of door or catch misalignment.

i Furthermore, the relative size of the Catch with respect to the strike is important. The height of the catch provides adjustability of the strike in that direction. Accordingly, it is within the scope of the invention to provide a catch having a height which is at least twice the diameter of the strike at its largest portion, It will be appreciated that not only does the extra height provide adjustability, but also the extra height enables the catch to be positioned, for instance, on a wall behind a molding so that the strike receiving portion extends beyond the molding into a position for receiving the strike. Furthermore, it is within the scope of the invention to provide a catch having a depth of sufficient length so that when the strike is received in the catch in a closed position, its free end will abut the back wall of the catch. inasmuch as the back wall of the catch is made of resilient plastic, it will provide a resilient quiet bumper for receiving the strike and will prevent rattling when the door is in a closed position.

It will be appreciated that this latch mechanism can be used for doors or swinging members of a house, cabinet, cupboard, etc. The members are preferably swinging, but it will be appreciated that the catch could be used for a sliding door.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a latch mechanism for latching doors and the like to opposite walls comprising a strike having a rst end portion and a second endA portion, the second end portion being operatively attachable to doors and walls, the strike having a transverse enlarged portion between the two extremities thereof, and a catch operatively attachable to doors and walls by at least two fasteners comprising a casing having a pair of longitudinally extending side walls and a transversely extending back wall, the side walls being integrally connected at one end to opposite sides of the back wall and having upwardly extending shoulders integrally formed at their free ends, the shoulders extending inwardly towards each other and dening an upwardly extending transverse opening for receiving and holding the strike within the casing by engaging it behind the enlarged portion thereof, and a flange connected to the casing and lying perpendicular to the back wall thereof, the flange having a transverse slot with respect to the longitudinal axis of the strike for receiving at least two fasteners, the slot enabling the casing to be moved transversely of the axis of the strike with the fasteners in place.

lt is also an object of this invention to provide a reenforcing rib attached to the top surface ofthe ange adjacent to the transverse slot therein for preventing the dan ge from being damaged when attached to the wall or door bv the fasteners.

These and other objects of this invention are `more clearly depicted in the Vfollowing detailed description having specific reference to the attached drawings in which the embodiments of the invention are shown, not to limit the scope of the invention in any `respect but so that the principles thereof might be more clearly demonstrated.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the latch mechanisrn showing the catch and strike in an exploded relationship;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the catch including the coacting elements in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the catch including the coacting elements in phantom lines;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the catch with parts broken away to show the coactin-g elements;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of a modified catch; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional plan view through a wall and swinging door showing the latch mechanism in ope-ration.

FIGURE l shows an exploded View of the latch mechanisrn l@ comprising a strike l2 and a catch 14. The strike l2 has a -rst end portion 16 and a second end portion 18, Basically, the strike is designed to have a transverse enlarged portion 20 between the two extremities thereof for being received and held within the catch. Accordingly, the first end portion 16 comprises a first annular portion 22 gradually increasing in diamete-r from the free end 24 of the first end portion to a 'maximum diameter at the enlarged portion 20 of the strike. This gradual .1ncrease in diameter provides a low angle of entry which enables the strike to be moved into a closed position within the catch by relatively light force. The first end p ortion 16 additionally comprises a second annular portion 26, shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 4, sharply decreasing in `diameter from a maximum diameter at' the enlarged portion 20 of the strike to a minimum diameter at the interior end 28 of the first end portion 16. This sharp decrease in diameter provides a steep angle of retraction requiring relatively heavy force to remove the strike from the catch.

The second end portion 18 of the strike 12 has a plurality of screw threads 30 so that it can be threadably attached to doors and walls. The screw threads allow axial adjustment of the strike within the wall. Moreover, the free end 24 of the first end portion 16 has a transverse groove 32 cut therein for receiving an instrument by which the axial movement of the strike can be effected. While the threads 30 of the second end portion 18 are shown as wood threads, it will be appreciated that the threads could be designed for enabling the strike to be threaded into metal. Furthermore, it is within the scope of the invention to provide other means for effecting rotation of the strike.

Y The catch 14 as disclosed in FIGURES 1 through 4 comp-rises a casing 34 having a pair of longitudinally extending side walls 36 and a transversely extending back wall 38 connected, preferably integrally, to one end 40 of the side walls 36. In order to keep the side walls relatively thin and at the same time give them sufficient rigidity to provide a suitable catch, it is preferable to include an integral top wall 42 connected to the side walls and the lback wall. The side walls, back wall, and top wall define a pocket 44 in lwhich the first end portion 16 of the strike is substantially received.

An upwardly extending shoulder or rib flange 46 is integrally formed with the free end 48 of the side walls. The shoulders 46 extend inwardly toward each other and define an upwardly extending opening t) therebetween for receiving and holding part of the strike within the pocket 44. The shoulders provide the means for slowing the entry of the strike and the means for holding the strike within the casing. Accordingly, the opening 5t) has a width 51 such that the shoulders engage the strike behind the enlarged portion thereof, and, as will be seen from the drawings, the shoulders preferably engage the second annular portion 26 of the first end portion 16 for holding it within the pocket.

The depth 52 of the pocket 44 is such that the free end 24 of the strike engages the back wall 38 when the strike is received within the pocket 44 in its closed position. Furthermore, the cooperating dimensions of the strike and the catch are such that when the free end of the strike enga-ges the 'back wall, the shoulders will engage the sccond annular portion 26 at a position of sufficiently reduced diameter to prevent the side walls from being substantially flexed. Accordingly, the side walls are subjected to little or no stress when the strike is in a closed position. However, by engaging the second annular portion 26 of the strike and Iby having the free end of the strike abut the back wall, the shoulders 46 will prevent the strike from rattling. It will be appreciated that the above cooperating dimensions are the preferable form of the invention but it is within the scope 4of the invention to allow for variances in manufacturing tolerances. Obviously, `manufacturing tolerances must not be so limited that the cost of the strike and the catch will be increased. Therefore, certain variances in manufacturing tolerances can be expected for these dimensions, and it is only preferable to have these dimensions substantially conform to the above description.

A ange 54 is connected to the casing 34 and lies substantially perpendicular to the back wall 38. Preferably, the -ange 4S4 extends rearwardly of the back wall 38 and is integrally connected thereto. The flange has at least one sl-ot 56, the longitudinal opening of which extends along an axis 74 transversely disposed to the longitudinal axis 58 of the strike when the strike is received in a closed position. The slot must be large enough to receive at least two fasteners 60 for securing the catch to a wall or door and which prevent the casing from rotating while enabling it to move transversely of the longitudinal axis 58 of the strike with the fasteners in place. The bottom surface 62 of the casing and the ange is preferably flat so that the catch can be placed contiguously against a wall. The top surface 64 o-f the ange has a re-enforcing rib 66 attached thereto and adjacent to the transverse slot 56. The re-enforcing rib prevents the flange from being damaged by the fasteners when the catch is fastened into place. Although the flange may have one slot, it is preferable to have two slots extending transversely with -respect to the longitudinal axis 58 of the strike when the strike is received in a closed position with each slot receiving one fastener.

Furthermore, it is preferable to have at least one upwardly extending support 68 integrally attached at one end 70 to the top surface 64 of the ange S4. The other end 72 of the support member is integrally attached to the back wall 38. As illustrated in the drawings, the support 68 has a triangular shape with one leg attached to the back wall and one leg attached to the top surface of the ange. Accordingly, this support provides additional support for the back wall thereby transmitting the blows absorbed by the casing to the ange and ultimately to the wall or door to which the flange is attached when the strike is inserted or removed from the catch.

The structural features of the catch and the strike enable the latch to have adjustability in three directions to take care of various factors which cause door or catch misalignment. As seen above, the threaded strike can be axially moved within the door or wall so that it can be placed in a position for entering the strike. Furthermore, such axial movement will assure that the door can be closed in a flush arrangement with the surrounding structure. The transverse slot 56 provides further adjustability along an axis 74 transversely disposed to the longitudinal axis 58 of the strike. Heret-ofore, it has always been possible to move the catch transversely of the strike by removing the fasteners and refastening the catch in an appropriate position. However, this invention enables the catch to be adjusted along the transverse axis 74 without removing the fasteners. The third provision of adjustability is accomplished by making the height 76 of the opening 50 larger than the enlarged portion 20 of the strike. Accordingly, adjustability is provided on a second axis 78 substantially perpendicular to the first axis 74 and in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis 58 of the strike. The height 76 is preferably at least twice as large as the enlarged portion 20 of the strike.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5, it may even be desirable to provide a catch 80 having a height 82 at least three times as large as the enlarged portion 2t) of the strike so that the catch can be fastened to a wall behind a molding and yet still extend beyond the wall molding into a position to receive the strike.

The latch mechanism 1()v is shown connected to a door 84 and wall 86 in FIGURE 6. Accordingly, the catch 14 is attached to the wall 86, and the strike 12 is attached to a swinging door 84 so that it will be partly received within the catch when the door is in a closed position. It will be appreciated that the catch could easily be positioned above or below the cabinet shelf so that a strike attached to the cabinet door could cooperate with it. Furthermore, while the latch mechanism is shown in operation with a swinging door, the latch mechanism can also be applied to a sliding door. In this latter situation the strike can be attached to the wall element while the catch is attached to the sliding door in a position cooperating with the strike.

The strike, as described heretofore, has a first end portion 16 comprising essentially that portion of the strike which is received within the catch and a second end por tion 18 comprising essentially that portion of the strike which is received within the door or wall. Therefore, throughout the application when the strike is described as being received within the catch in its closed position, it will be appreciated that only part of the strike, namely, substantially the first end portion, is received within the catch.

While a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and discussed above, it should be adequately clear that considerable modification may be made thereto without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing should be considered in an illustrative sense rather than a limiting sense, and accordingly the extent of this invention should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

-1. A latch mechanism for latching doors and the like to adjacent walls comprising:

a metallic strike having a first end portion, a second end portion, and an enlarged portion therebetween, a first frusto-conical end portion comprising a first annular portion gradually increasing in diameter from the free end of the first end portion to a maximum diameter at the enlarged portion of the strike and a second annular portion sharply decreasing in diameter from a maximum at the enlarged portion of the strike to a minimum at the interior end of the first end portion, the second end portion being threadably attachable to doors and walls for allowing axial adjustment of the strike and the free end of the first end portion having a transverse groove cut therein for receiving an instrument for operatively effecting the axial movement of the strike;

a plastic catch comprising a casing having a pair of longitudinally extending side walls, a transversely extending back wall, and a top wall and defining a pocket in which to receive part of the strike, the side walls being integrally attached at one end to the back wall and having upwardly extending shoulders in tegrally formed with their free ends, the shoulders 5 extending inwardly towards each other and defining an upwardly extending opening therebetween for receiving and holding the strike within the casing by releasably engaging the second annular portion, the strike being of sufiicient length so that the free end of the first annular portion of the strike abuts the back wall, and the shoulder of the catch engages the second annular portion of the strike at a position wherein the side walls of the catch are substantially free of stress, and a iiange extending rearwardly of the back wall and integrally connected thereto, the flange having two transverse slots with respect to the longitudinal axis of the strike for receiving two fasteners, the slots allowing transverse movement of the catch for adjustment transverse to the axis of the strike; and at least one upward support member integrally attached to and extending between the top surface of the flange and the back Wall of the catch to provide additional support for the back wall. 2. The latch mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein the flange has a re-enforcing rib attached to the top sur face thereof adjacent each transverse slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/ 1964 France.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner, EDWARD C. ALLEN, Examiner. 45 J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A LATCH MECHANISM FOR LATCHING DOORS AND THE LIKE TO ADJACENT WALLS COMPRISING: A METALLIC STRIKE HAVING A FIRST END PORTION, A SECOND END PORTION, AND AN ENLARGED PORTION THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST FRUSTO-CONICAL END PORTION COMPRISING A FIRST ANNULAR PORTION GRADUALLY INCREASING IN DIAMETER FROM THE FREE END OF THE FIRST END PORTION TO A MAXIMUM DIAMETER AT THE ENLARGED PORTION OF THE STRIKE AND A SECOND ANNULAR PORTION SHARPLY DECREASING IN DIAMETER FROM A MAXIMUM AT THE ENLARGED PORTION OF THE STRIKE TO A MINIMUM AT THE INTERIOR END OF THE FIRST END PORTION, THE SECOND END PORTION BEING THREADABLY ATTACHABLE TO DOORS AND WALLS FOR ALLOWING AXIAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE STRIKE AND THE FREE END OF THE FIRST END PORTION HAVING A TRANSVERSE GROOVE CUT THEREIN FOR RECEIVING AN INSTRUMENT FOR OPERATIVELY EFFECTING THE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE STRIKE; A PLASTIC CATCH COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SIDE WALLS, A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING BACK WALL, AND A TOP WALL AND DEFINING A POCKET IN WHICH TO RECEIVE PART OF THE STRIKE, THE SIDE WALLS BEING INTEGRALLY ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THE BACK WALL AND HAVING UPWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDERS INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH THEIR FREE ENDS, THE SHOULDERS EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND DEFINING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING OPENING THEREBETWEEN FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING THE STRIKE WITHIN THE CASING BY RELEASABLY ENGAGING THE SECOND ANNULAR PORTION, THE STRIKE BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH SO THAT THE FREE END OF THE FIRST ANNULAR PORTION OF THE STRIKE ABUTS THE BACK WALL, AND THE SHOULDER OF THE CATCH ENGAGES THE SECOND ANNULAR PORTION OF THE STRIKE AT A POSITION WHEREIN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CATCH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF STRESS, AND A FLANGE EXTENDING REARWARDLY OF THE BACK WALL AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTED THERETO, THE FLANGE HAVING TWO TRANSVERSE SLOTS WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE STRIKE FOR RECEIVING TWO FASTENERS, THE SLOTS ALLOWING TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE CATCH FOR ADJUSTMENT TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF THE STRIKE; AND AT LEAST ONE UPWARD SUPPORT MEMBER INTEGRALLY ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE TOP SURFACE OF THE FLANGE AND THE BACK WALL OF THE CATCH TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE BACK WALL. 